Vintage 1974 Rickenbacker 481 Guitar, Heavy Birdseye Maple, Beautiful RARE Walnut Brown Gloss Finish

BEHOLD, WHAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU

IS SOMETHING OF LEGEND!

Well, that is at least, if you are a Rickenbacker fanatic

like so many of us are

Yes, that's right, it's the 6 string solid body electric guitar version of the beloved 4001/4003 iconic bass

What better to compliment your 4001 or 4003 with, than this beauty?

Feast your visual senses on this extremely rare and absolutely gorgeous Vintage 1974  Rickenbacker 481 in Walnut Brown!

While gazing at the photos try not to fight the tantalizing affects of the astonishing Birdseye Maple glistening beneath the beautiful Walnut stain and highly glossed clear coat, throughout. This is a pristine example of what I personally feel is one of the absolute coolest six string guitars Rickenbacker has ever produced; and there weren't many. Especially in this amazing brown finish.

I can honestly say, I have never personally seen a Rickenbacker 481 in as good condition as this one. Yes, it has some of that oh so sweet, vintage patina including, but not limited to complimentary swirls, dents, dings, dimples, scratches, and honest authentic play wear, as a result of its near half century journey. It just completes the richness and vintage vibe of this wonderful piece, and is included at no extra charge!

Make sure you look closely at all the photos and compare them. What might look like a blem in one photo, may not be there in the next. That's because the finish is so glossy on this guitar, it was very difficult to not get some glare and reflection  from the camera at certain angles. The finish is just beautiful. It's shines and shines. I took many photos with and without flash, in order to capture the beautiful finish and any wear and patina therein, as best I could.

The largest of any of the wear is on the bottom edge about three or four inches away from the input jack. I have included photos that clearly show this area. It's really not very significant, at all. It looks like it could possibly be an area of wear from where the guitar was placed on a stand frequently. or perhaps not. That's just an assumption on my part. Overall, I would personally rate this guitar at a good 9 out of 10, and I'm probably being conservative, at that. This guitar is absolutely gorgeous!

There are no missing parts and everything is original except the black pickguard, the black TRC (truss rod cover), and the Brand New Bass Volume, Bass Tone, Treble Volume, and Treble Tone Knobs. These Brand New Knobs that are currently installed on the guitars are genuine Rickenbacker Factory Knobs. The original knobs that shipped on the guitar will be included in the sale. One of the original knobs has the metal silver cap missing. Otherwise, the original control knobs are in great condition. I cannot say for sure whether the pickguard is a Rickenbacker factory part, or not. I'm assuming it is not, due to the fact that two or three of the pickguard screws seem to go into the body at an ever so slight slant (nothing major). There are no extra holes drilled into the body to accommodate this black pickguard (I double checked to make sure). The Black TRC is a very nice (thick and durable aftermarket TRC with white raised letters). In case you are wondering, this 481 will ship with its original White Pickguard that came with the guitar from the factory as well as, the original white Rickenbacker TRC. The white pickguard has a couple of cracks that are near the two toggle switches and another tiny crack near one of the pickup screw holes, of which has been been professionally repaired by my luthier. It is virtually impossible to see the crack at the pickup screw hole unless you might have a high power magnifying glass. The cracks near the toggle switches are hard to see, as well. They have also been professionally repaired by the same luthier with a special high grade plastic bonding process that fused the cracks back together. As I mentioned above, those cracks are also very difficult to see, unless you are really looking for them. The pickguard is solid and will not crack any further in those repaired areas, unless of course, it is extremely abuses and you are trying to crack the pickguard. I just personally prefer the black pickguard and black TRC over the white, but that is simply a matter of personal taste. It's a very easy process to replace the white pickguard and white TRC back onto the guitar if that's what you prefer. If you would like to see photos of the original white pickguard and the original white TRC, feel free to let me know and I will send them over.

Did I mention this guitar plays like a dream? Well, believe me, it does. It is currently strung with a fresh set of Ernie Ball Super Slinky 8s. The truss rods work perfectly and turn in both directions. The neck was set recently with just a tiny bit of relief with both truss rods snugged up just right to keep things in place. By the way, you really need to know what you're doing when adjusting Rickenbacker vintage truss rods. They do not adjust like just any other truss rod. You have to put pressure on the neck while adjusting the truss rods. If you don't follow the correct procedure, you will damage a Rickenbacker very easily. If you are not comfortable with this, I strongly advise that you never attempt it, yourself. Find a professional guitar tech or luthier who is familiar with Rickenbacker truss rod adjustments. Of course, keep in mind that set up and action is very subjective. What may be a perfect set up by my standards, may not be by yours. Rest assured, though, this guitar is set up with very nice comfortable low action and plays with little effort. All the associated parts for setting the action and intonation the way you prefer, all function 100% without issue.

All chrome hardware is pristine, as well. Once again, check out the photos to see what I mean. Beautiful, huh?

Fret wear is minimal and what you would expect from a guitar that is of this vintage, which has been played but not played hard or abused. There is plenty of life left in the original stock frets.

There is no noise or scratchy pots under the hood. All potentiometers, switches, input, and connectors have been meticulously and professionally cleaned with Deoxid. This baby is ready to play

By the way, I almost forgot, how about those awesome red fret marker dots on the bass side of the neck? Icing on the cake baby! Rickenbacker added that very cool touch on just a very few of these 481 guitars back in the 70s. This 1974 model was lucky enough to be one of them. I just love those red markers, so cool!

All in all, I feel that you will be very hard pressed to find a cleaner, more pristine example of a Vintage 1970s Rickenbacker 481, anywhere on the planet.

Please ask any and all questions and hit me up for more photos if there is any specific area of the guitar that you need, before making your purchase, due to the fact that this is a NO RETURN/NO REFUND AS IS SALE. Returns are just too costly, time consuming, and painful for all involved.

As I'm sure you know, this is a very rare opportunity to own an extremely rare Vintage Rickenbacker 481 in an extremely rare finish, in wonderful condition. If you've been searching for one of these guitars, your search is over. Grab it before someone beats you to it!

Finally, please be advised that this instrument is being offered locally as well as, on other online venues, and as such, I reserve the right to end this listing to facilitate a sale at any time.